The present invention relates to a method for examining object properties of an object in a substrate.
A known apparatus for detecting objects in a substrate is disclosed in DE 20 2010 016 564 U1. The apparatus includes a detector device, a localization device, and a control device. The user moves the detector device over the boundary surface, wherein the detector device executes a series of measurements. During the measurement process, the localization device determines the current position of the detector device on a regular basis. The measurement data of the detector device and the position data of the localization device are transmitted to the control device, which allocates and stores the measurement and position data. The measurement and location data can be further processed by the control device and depicted on a screen, for example.
The object of the present invention is directed to a method for examining object properties of an object in a substrate.
According to one or more embodiments of the invention, the method for examining object properties of an object in a substrate by an apparatus, which includes a detector device, a localization device, and a control device, is as follows:                In a first step, one selects a first object having at least a first object property to be examined and first target coordinates,        In a second step, a current position of the detector device in the space is determined using the localization device,        In a third step, a current detection field is determined by the control device from the current position of the detector device, and        In a fourth step, the first target coordinates are compared by the control device against the current detection field of the detector device.        
The method according to the invention deals with examining the object properties of a known object using a detector device. The term “object” includes all elements that may be located in a substrate. Examples of objects, which are detected by the detector device, are power lines, broadcast cables, empty pipes, water lines, heating pipes, and reinforcing bars. For a water line, the material (copper or plastic), the diameter, the position, and use as a hot- or cold-water line are some of the object properties that can be examined. For a power line, the material, the distance and the position to other types of lines, and use as a high- or low-voltage electric cable, among other things, are object properties that can be examined by a detector device. For the embedding of reinforcing bars in concrete ceilings, one can examine whether the stated quantity of reinforcing bars was embedded and whether the optimal distances according to the latest technology were complied with between the reinforcing bars.
A necessary prerequisite for the method according to the invention is that the target coordinates of the object to be examined are known. The target coordinates may be on hand as absolute coordinates or relative coordinates in relation to a reference object. Of particular relevance to the application is the ability to check the information of a construction plan using the method according to the invention. A construction plan contains a plurality of objects with their object properties and target coordinates. The construction plan may be designed for the control device in a legible format to enable uploading the object data directly from the construction plan; otherwise, the object data must be entered manually by the user into the control device.
In a first step of the method according to the invention, one selects a first object to be examined having the associated first target coordinates and one establishes the object properties to be examined of the first object. Before a measurement is taken with the detector device, for a point detector the detector device must be positioned over the first object, and for a scanning detector, it must be moved over the object.
In addition, in a second step and by way of the localization device, the current position of the detector device is determined in the space. In a third step, the control device determines from the current position of the detector device the current detection field of the detector device; the relationship between the current position and the detection field of the detector device is known. For scanning detectors, the detection field corresponds to the local scan region about the object. Then in a fourth step of the method, the first target coordinates are compared by the control device against the current detection field of the detector device.
The subsequent steps of the method according to the invention depend on the comparison of the first target coordinates of the first object against the current detection field of the detector device. One thereby differentiates between three variants: In a first variant, the first object is located within the current detection field; in a second variant, the first object is located at least partially outside of the current detection field; and in a third variant, the dimensions of the first object are greater than the current detection field of the detector device.
In the first variant of the method, at least one measurement is performed in the substrate using the detector device, if the first target coordinates of the first object are located within the current detection field. The method according to the invention has the advantage that the control device automatically actuates a measurement or a series of measurements in the substrate by the detector device.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the measurement of the detection device is taken with detection parameters, which are adapted to the first object properties to be examined of the first object. Due to the fact that the object properties of the first object are known, the detection parameters with which the detector device takes one or more measurements can be adapted to the object properties to be examined. Taking measurements with adapted detection parameters increases the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results.
In the second variant of the method, from the current position of the detector device and the first target coordinates of the first object, an adjustment instruction for the detector device is calculated by the control device and depicted on a display device if the first target coordinates of the first object are located at least partially outside of the current detection field. The second to fourth steps of the method according to the invention are repeated at regular intervals while the detector device moves until the first target coordinates of the first object are located within the current detection field of the detector device.
In the third variant of the method, an adjustment instruction for the detector device is calculated by the control device and depicted on the display device, and during the movement, a series of measurements in the substrate are taken by the detector device, if the first target coordinates of the first object are located partially within the current detection field and the dimensions of the first object are greater than the current detection field. The third variant is relevant for objects whose dimensions exceed the size of the detection field, such as power lines, water lines, and reinforcing bars, for example.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, the control device simultaneously starts the substrate measurement using the detector device and the position determination using the localization device. By the simultaneous start of the position determination and the substrate measurement, the localization device and the detector device are synchronized. Since the measurement periods for the position determination using the localization device and the substrate measurement using the detector device generally differ from each other, the position values and the measurement results are not determined simultaneously. Through synchronization, the measured position values and measurement results of the substrate measurement can be allocated to each other. The closer together the points are in time for position determination and substrate measurement, the smaller is the error in the position coordinates.
In a further embodiment, the method according to the invention, in the first step, one selects besides the first object a second object with second object properties to be examined and second target coordinates, and in the fourth step, besides the first target coordinates of the first object, one compares the second target coordinates of the second object against the current detection field of the detector device. The method has the advantage that multiple objects can be examined by the detector device.
The additional method steps of the method according to the invention depend on the comparison of the first target coordinates of the first object and the second target coordinates of the second object against the current detection field of the detector device. One thereby differentiates between three variants: In a first variant, one of the two objects is located within the detection field; in a second variant, both objects are located within the detection field; and in a third variant, both objects are located outside of the detection field.
In the first variant, the detector device performs at least one measurement in the substrate, if the first target coordinates of the first object or the second target coordinates of the second object are located within the current detection field of the detector device. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one measurement by the detector device is thereby performed with detection parameters, which are adapted to the object properties of the object located within the current detection field. The measurement with the adapted detection parameters increases the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results obtained by the detector device.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, after the substrate measurement using the detector device, an adjustment instruction for the detector device is calculated by the control device from the current position of the detector device and the target coordinates of the object located outside of the current detection field, and is depicted on a display device. The second to fourth steps of the method according to the invention are repeated at regular intervals during the movement of the detector device until the additional object is also located within the current detection field of the detector device and a measurement using the detector device can be taken.
In the second variant, the detector device takes at least one measurement in the substrate if the first target coordinates of the first object and the second target coordinates of the second object are located within the current detection field of the detector device.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the detector device takes a first measurement with first detection parameters, which are adapted to the first object properties of the first object, and a second measurement with second detection parameters, which are adapted to the second object properties of the second object. For objects with different object properties, for example different materials or depths in the substrate, the optimal detection parameters may differ greatly from one another. Multiple measurements using respectively adapted detection parameters can improve the accuracy of the measurement results.
In the third variant, a first distance and a second distance are calculated by the control device from the current position of the detector device as well as the first target coordinates of the first object and the second target coordinates of the second object, if the first target coordinates of the first object and the second target coordinates of the second object are located outside of the current detection field of the detector device. The first distance represents the difference of the first object to the current position of the detector device, and the second distance corresponds to the difference of the second object to the current position of the detector device.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first distance and the second distance are compared against each other by the control device, and for the object with the smaller distance to the current position of the detector device, an adjustment instruction for the detector device is calculated by the control device and depicted on a display device.
In a further embodiment, the method according to the invention, in a second step, a current orientation of the detector device, in addition to the current position of the detector device, is also determined by the localization device. In a particularly preferred embodiment, in the third step, the current detection field of the detector device is determined by the control device from the current position and the current orientation of the detector device. By determining the current orientation, the accuracy with which the orientation of the detector device can be determined is increased. The current orientation of the detector device can be determined for example using a camera or by the differentiation among multiple known markings, which are applied on the detector device.
Here, all known methods are suited for determining the orientation of an object in the room.
Preferably, the current orientation of the detector device is also taken into account in all method steps of the method according to the invention which use the current position of the detector device.
Embodiments of the invention are described below by the drawing(s). It is intended to show the embodiments not necessarily to scale; rather the drawing, where useful for explanation purposes, is executed in a schematic and/or slightly distorted manner. Regarding amendments to the teachings directly evident from the drawing, one shall refer to the relevant prior art. In doing so, one shall take into account that diverse modifications and changes pertaining to the form and detail of an embodiment can be undertaken without departing from the general idea of the invention. The features of the invention disclosed in the description, drawing, and claims may be essential both individually on their own as well as in any combination for the further development of the invention. Also falling within the scope of the invention are all combinations of at least two of the features disclosed in the description, drawing, and/or claims. The general ideal of the invention is not restricted to the exact form or detail of the preferred embodiments depicted and described hereafter, or limited to a subject matter that would be restricted in comparison to the subject matter claimed in the claims. For given measurement ranges, values lying within the mentioned limits shall be disclosed as limit values and one shall be able to use and claim these as one wishes. For the sake of simplicity, the same reference signs are used for identical or similar parts, or parts with an identical or similar function.